Adverse obstetric history and ectopic pregnancy

To determine whether women with an adverse obstetric history are at greater risk of ectopic pregnancy.

A retrospective, case-control study was conducted on ectopic (case) and intrauterine (control) pregnancies at New York Methodist Hospital between January 2000 and April 2004. There were 67 patients in each group, matched by age and gravidity. Number of pregnancies (G) was stratified by parity (P1-4). Interruption of pregnancy prior to 20 weeks (P3) was further stratified into spontaneous and voluntary abortion and prior ectopic pregnancy.

There were 285 ectopic and 286 control pregnancies. There were more term births (P1: 239 vs. 100) and more live children (P4: 241 vs. 103) in the control group, (p < 0.001), but the number of interrupted pregnancies (P3) was higher (182 vs. 43, p < 0.001) in the ectopic group. The ectopic group had more voluntary (144) and spontaneous interruptions (38) than the control group (18 and 25) (p < 0.001). The ectopic group had more surgeries (57), with 34 dilation and curettages; the control group had 30 surgeries and 11 dilation and curettages (p < 0.001).

Women with an adverse obstetric history that included interrupted pregnancies were more likely to have ectopic pregnancies.